A Little Sad Today

It started off a happy day.  I finally managed to finish my quilt last night!  For the last couple of months, I have been talking with a family friend about it.  She was the reason I wanted to try to make a quilt.  My mother and I have been cleaning her house for years (20+ for mom and around 10 years for me), but she and her husband became such a welcomed addition to our family, even attending my wedding in June.  She has made some of the most beautiful HAND SEWN quilts I've ever seen.  I knew I didn't have the patients to do it by hand, but I was still inspired.

The last few weeks, I had been updating her on my progress and I was keeping up with hers.  She was so excited to show me the new fabric that she had bought.  It was the first time she had chosen a busy fabric, and decided to do a "Log Cabin."  She always thought they were boring, but she found a pattern she liked and decided to just go for it.  I would sneak into her basement and peak at her project wall and run my fingers over the seams, and thought that mine wasn't going to look as nice, but I was sure she'd be proud of my very first quilt, even if I wasn't happy with it.

So last night, I FINALLY got it all done.  I was determined to show it to her this morning...even if I had to stay up all night to get it finished.  It took me an hour to figure out how to join the end of the binding to the beginning, but I did it!  I threw it in the washing machine and hugged it when it came out of the dryer.  It was done.  I folded it up and put it on the banister so I wouldn't forget it.

As soon as we got to her house we knew something wasn't right.  It was messier than usual and felt off.  I told my mom that I was going to run my quilt back out to the car because the "Sympathy" card on the table gave us a clue that today wouldn't be a good day.  I came back inside and my mom said, "It's Mrs. Draper."  I said, "No it's not."  And I started to cry.  It couldn't be.  I just saw her last week and she and her husband gushed over my wedding pictures. 

Mr. Draper came down and gave us the sad news.  He had tried to call, but couldn't get through.  He told us that her heart gave out Saturday night.  It's just not fair.  

So I will cherish my first quilt forever.  I know she would have loved it, imperfections and all.  And I will keep on quilting and think of her fondly.  Hoping that one day, I will inspire someone to try something new and do what they love, just as she did for me.

I'll miss you, Joyce.